St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-20
President Northrop Gives His Views on
the Uses and Abuses of Agricul-
tural Colleges.
The St, Paul Presbytery; After a-Day Of
Discussion, sustains the First Pres
byterian's Pastor.
County Auditors in Annual Session.
Criminals Sent to the State
Prison.
Several New 1ncorporations---Ar
rested for Stealing Tea1n--Bits
of Local News.
STATE FRUIT GROWERS.

Officers of the Amber Cane AssOcia.
tion--Why President NorthrOp OPP.
poses a New Agricultural College.
The morning session of the State Horti-
cultural society opened yesterday with
report of the Seeding committee. consisting
of G. w. Fuller, of Litchfield; John S.
Harris, of La Crescent. and A. W. DiaS,
of Rochester. Peter M. Gideon, of Excel
sior, read a paper on 'Our New Seedlings"
A resolution indorsing Mr.. Gideon's theory
was adopted by the convention.
The afternoon was taken up with the
business of the Amber Cane association.
President Blakeley presided. Reports OF
the associations officers were received, and
the following officers were elected for next
year:
Capt. R. Blakeley, st. Paul, president;
Ditus Dag, Pennington, vice president; Prof.
Porter. secretary and treasurer, Seth III. Kin
ney, Morristown, J. f. Porter, Red Wing. ex-
ecutive committee; n. ]. Stubs. Long Lake.
c. L. Smith, Minneapolis, committee on
samples.
President Blakeley's address was a
lengthy document, devoted to the subject
of cane growing. Resolutions passed by
the Indiana Cane Growers association ask
ing for national legislation to protect the
industry, were read and Endorsed. An in
formal discussion about the result of the
years work drew out remarks from j. f.
Porter, who made 2. 400 gallons of syrup
last year, Mr.. Day, of Pennington, and
Mr.. Kinney.
PRESIDENT NORTHROP'S VIEWS.
At the meeting last evening o. c. Gregg
delivered a short address Oh county and
state fairs, paying particular attention to
fakrs and the sale of liquor on the grounds,
and expressing desire that proper legisla-
ton should be brought about whereby these
evils might be done away with. Mr..
Gregg, was followed by President Cyrus d.
Northrop. of the state university. He did
not propose to read an essay on fruit grow
ing, but rather spoke on the general sub
ject of agricultural education. He said:
Agricultural education began with the Or
ganization of agricultural societies. Under
the stimulus of these societies fruits, grains
and stock have developed from their stnit ed
condition to their present degree OF excellency.
1t is no longer Il question of mere existence
with the human family, it is rather the
amount of comfort and even luxury which
may be obtained. Famine is no longer thought
of, since the fact has been discovered that
Mother Earth is capable of producing enough
for all of her children. The idea that any
man can be d farmer has passed away. and in
its stead comes demand for agricultural
education, and the supply has been equal to
the demand. If the liberal policy of the re-
gents in bringing the experimental farm and
agricultural college to its present degree OF
excelleney does not succeed in bringing
students to the college, the regents are not to
blame. When came TO the university, two
years ago, there was but one student in the
agricultural college. He graduated at the
end of the year, AID the second year opened
without student. 1t was clearly that either
Their, would be no students in the course of
~ or we
special inducements. We have followed the
latter course by making the entrance exam
nations much easier than those necessary
for entrance in other courses. The result is
that we have four students in the course this
year. They have formed a class in practical
agriculture, to which boys are admitted with
out examinations, and are even paid for
working. Last year there were ten students
Vim this class. Finally, as the mountain would
not come to Mahommet, Mahommet must go
to the mountain; that is, if the farmers sons
would not come to the agricultural college,
then the benefits of the college must be ex-
tended to them, and farmers
INSTITUTES WERE BEGUN.
The results of these Institutes have been
seen by all Of you. Our great danger and
onewhich the state ought to avoid, is the
unnecessary duplication of schools or colleges
giving the same kind of education. If spe-
cal schools are needed their place is at the
state university. 1t is by concentration of
educational forces and material that great
institutions are bIilt up. The one science
that is more important than any other is agri-
cultural chemistry. l oppose the establish
ment of an. agricultural college because it
will involve needless expenditure of money,
and consequently will cause increased taxa
ton. The onward march of the institution
in sister states warn us that concerted action
is necessary to keep us from falling behind
Minnesota has all the advantages for main
tanning its present standard of usefulness.
Shall it be the university of the state, or shall
it be all aggregation of high schools? appeal
to you for your hearty support and co-opera-
1ion.
At the end of the address, it was moved
and seconded that q vote of thanks be ex-
tended to President Northrup and also that
the address be incorporated in the report of
the society.